WIMBLEDON — Andy Murray discovered he can still “cry like Roger” Federer but “can’t play like him” as his dreams of ending “150,000 years” of hurt died in a floodlit arena at Wimbledon yesterday.
Two years after blubbering his way through a runners-up speech at the Australian Open, tears of despair were flowing again on Centre Court after Murray’s brave effort to end Britain’s 76-year search for a men’s grand slam champion unraveled under the spell of Federer’s magic.
As the beaming Swiss hoisted the gilded Challenge Cup for a record-equalling seventh time — drawing level with his hero Pete Sampras — Murray looked skywards wondering what might have been.
Federer’s 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 win left Murray sobbing, 15,000 Centre Court ticket holders deflated and 60 million Britons wondering if, and when, this agonizing search for a men’s champion at one of the four majors will ever end.
Since Fred Perry won the last of his eight grand slams at the 1936 U.S. Championships, 286 majors have come and gone without a British men’s champion in sight.
Winners have emerged from 22 different nations. But the country that hosts the most famous tennis tournament in the world has effectively become a laughing stock for failing to produce a male champion for more than three quarters of a century.
“What is it? Like, 150,000 years?,” Federer had jovially quipped on the eve of beating Murray at the 2010 Melbourne Park final.
When Federer realized Murray would be in his firing line again yesterday, he warmed up for the challenge by saying: “I always say in whatever country I am I like to play the local hero, and Andy is exactly that here at Wimbledon.”
It was no wonder that Murray was a tearful wreck at the end of the three-hour, 24-minute contest, which left Federer celebrating an astonishing 17th grand slam triumph and the Briton being consoled by 15,000 sympathetic fans.
“I’m going to try this — it isn’t going to be easy,” Murray told the crowd as he tried to hold back tears to get through his runners-up speech.
“I was told the other day that ‘this is your best chance because Roger is 30 now.’ He’s not bad for a 30-year-old. He had some struggles early on [this tournament] with his back and today he showed us what fight he has got left in him.
“I’m going to start crying again. … Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, how tough it is… The people watching make it so much easier to play — they make it incredible,” Murray added as he was given a rapturous round of applause.
While there is no shame in losing a Wimbledon final to a player hailed by many as the greatest of all time, for Murray the task of finally ending his grand slam jinx after four finals defeats will no doubt get harder and harder, especially since he has won only one of the 13 finals sets he has contested.
If Murray has any doubts, his conqueror offered some words of encouragement.
“I really do believe deep down in me he will win grand slams, not just one. I do wish him all the best,” Federer said.
— Reuters